_Gen. Fremont’s Proclamation, and its Effect on the Public Mind.--Gen.
Hunter’s Proclamation; the Feeling it created._
While the country seemed drifting to destruction, and the
Administration without a policy, the heart of every loyal man was
made glad by the appearance of the proclamation of Major-Gen. John C.
Fremont, then in command at the West. The following extract from
that document, which at the time caused so much discussion, will bear
insertion here:--
“All persons who shall be taken with arms in their hands within these
lines shall be tried by court martial, and, if found guilty, will be
shot. The property, real and personal, of all persons in the State of
Missouri, who shall take up arms against the United States, or who shall
be directly proven to have taken active part with their enemies in
the field, is declared to be confiscated to the public use, and their
slaves, if any they have, are hereby declared free men.”
The above was the first official paper issued after the commencement of
the war, that appeared to have the ring of the right kind of mettle. But
while the public mind was being agitated upon its probable effect
upon the Rebellion, a gloom was thrown over the whole community by
the President’s removal of Gen. Fremont, and the annulling of the
proclamation. This act of Mr. Lincoln gave unintentional “aid and
comfort” to the enemy, and was another retrograde movement in the Way of
crushing out the Rebellion.
Gen. Fremont, before the arrival of the President’s letter, had given
freedom to a number of slaves, in accordance with his proclamation. His
mode of action may be seen in the following deed of manumission:--
“Whereas, Thomas L. Snead, of the city and county of St. Louis, State of
Missouri, has been taking an active part with the enemies of the United
States, in the present insurrectionary movement against the Government
of the United States; now, therefore, I, John Charles Fremont,
Major-General commanding the Western Department of the Army of the
United States, by authority of law, and the power vested in me as such
commanding general, declare Hiram Reed, heretofore held to service or
labor by Thomas L. Snead, to be free, and forever discharged from the
bonds of servitude, giving him full right and authority to have, use,
and control his own labor or service as to him may seem proper, without
any accountability whatever to said Thomas L. Snead, or any one to claim
by, through, or under him.
“And this deed of manumission shall be respected and treated by all
persons, and in all courts of justice, as the full and complete evidence
of the freedom of said Hiram Reed.
“In testimony whereof, this act is done at headquarters of the Western
Department of the Army of the United States, in the city of St. Louis,
State of Missouri, on this twelfth day of September, A.D. eighteen
hundred and sixty-one, as is evidenced by the Departmental Seal hereto
affixed by my order.
“J. C. FREMONT,
“_Major-General Commanding._”
“Done at the office of the Provost-Marshal, in the city of St. Louis,
the twelfth day of September, A.D. eighteen hundred and sixty-one, at
nine o’clock in the evening of said day.
“Witness my hand and seal of office-hereto affixed.
“J. McKINSTRY,
“_Brigadier-General, Provost-Marshal_.”
The agitation in the public mind on account of the proclamation and its
annulment, great as it was, was soon surpassed by one still more bold
and sweeping from Major-Gen. David Hunter, in the following language,
issued from his headquarters, at Hilton Head, S.C., on the 9th of
May:--
“Headquarters Department of the South, Hilton Head, S.C., May 9, 1802.
“General Orders, No. 11:
“The three States of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, comprising
the Military Department of the South, having deliberately declared
themselves no longer under the protection of the United States of
America, and having taken up arms against the said United States, it
became a military necessity to declare them under martial law. This was
accordingly done on the 25th day of April, 1862. Slavery and martial
law in a free country are altogether incompatible. The persons in these
three States, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, heretofore held as
slaves, are therefore declared forever free.
“DAVID HUNTER,
“_Major-General Commanding._
“[Official.]
“_Ed. W. Smith, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General._”
But, before Mr. Lincoln was officially informed of the issuing of the
above order, he made haste to annul it in the terms following:
“That neither Gen. Hunter nor any other commander or person has been
authorized by the Government of the United States to make proclamation
declaring the slaves of any State free; and that the supposed
proclamation now in question, whether genuine or false, is altogether
void, so far as respects such declaration.
“I further make known, that, whether it be competent for me, as
Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, to declare the slaves of any
State or States free, and whether at any time or in any case it
shall have become a necessity indispensable to the maintenance of the
Government to exercise such supposed power, are questions which,
under my responsibility, I reserve to myself, and which I cannot feel
justified in leaving to the decision of commanders in the field.”
These words of the President were hailed with cheers by the proslavery
press of the North, and carried comfort to the hearts of the rebels;
although the Chief-Magistrate did not intend either. However, before the
President’s proclamation reached Carolina, Gen. Hunter was furnishing
slaves with free papers, of which the succeeding is a copy:--
“DEED OF EMANCIPATION.
“It having been proven, to the entire satisfaction of the
general commanding the Department of the South, that the bearer,
named----------------, heretofore held in involuntary servitude, has
been directly employed to aid and assist those in rebellion against the
United States of America.
“Now, be it known to all, that, agreeably to the laws, I declare the
said person free, and forever absolved from all claims to his services.
Both he and his wife and children have full right to go North, East, or
West, as they may decide.
“Given under my hand, at the Headquarters of the Department of the
South, this nineteenth day of April, 1862.
“D. HUNTER,
“_Major-General Commanding._”
The words, “forever free,” sounded like a charm upon the ears of the
oppressed, and seemed to give hopes of a policy that would put down the
Rebellion, and leave the people untrammelled with slavery.
“God’s law of compensation worketh sure,
So we may know the right shall aye endure!
‘_Forever free!_’ God! how the pulse doth bound
At the high, glorious, Heaven-prompted sound
That greets our ears from Carolina’s shore!
‘_Forever free!_’ and slavery is no more!
Ere time the hunter followed up the slave;
But now a Hunter, noble, true, and brave,
Proclaims the right, to each who draws a breath,
To lift himself from out a living death,
And plant his feet on Freedom’s happy soil,
Content to take her wages for his toil,
And look to God, the author of his days,
For food and raiment, sounding forth His praise.”
Deep indeed was the impression left upon the public mind by the orders
of both Fremont and Hunter; and they hastened the policy which the
President eventually adopted, to the great gratification of the friends
of freedom everywhere.